Kind acts touch many as TMC takes the #bekindchallenge

Since Tucson Medical Center kicked off its #BeKindChallenge a month ago, more than 50 acts of kindness have been reported. The effort, part of Ben’s Bells Project “Kind Colleagues” program, is based on the belief that everyone has the capacity to be kind, and that it is ultimately a skill that can be cultivated. TMC’s goal is to record at least 1,000 acts of kindness before the end of the school year in May.

Here are some of the best acts of kindness reported so far:

Nicole Durazo and Amy Hill

Nicole Durazo – We had a patient who was wheelchair-bound, writes patient-care tech Amy Hill, who works on the adult telemetry unit. He just wanted to go outside. When he was Nicole Durazo’s patient, she would take him outside. One Sunday when he WAS NOT Nicole’s patient, she took the time to come over to the other side of the unit to take him outside so that he could see the moon.

Amy Duschinski

From the other side of the hospital, we have this:

Amy Duschinski – a registered nurse on the mother/baby unit, Duschinski was recognized by the unit’s assistant manager, Angelica Hibbs, for stepping up. “Amy offered to help one of her co-workers with a less than glamorous task,” Hibbs wrote. “She helped her co-worker administer a hi/lo enema that took over 40 minutes. Not only did she help the patient feel better, but she was also there to support her co-worker.”

Hibbs also awarded a kindness coin to Maria Romero, a patient care tech also on the mother/baby unit. Hibbs writes:

Maria Romero

I had a wonderful experience helping Maria get a patient up to the bathroom. Maria has truly mastered the art of getting up patients in the most gentle, non-rushed and KIND way. The patient was in a lot of pain after her tubal. When the patient stood up she hugged Maria and started crying on her shoulder. You could tell that she had developed trust in her. Maria was so encouraging and patient with her. The patient told Maria she reminded her of her mother. This is not the first time Maria has heard this. She hears it from her patients often. Maria was also my PCT 12 years ago when I had my son and I still remember the great and kind care she gave me. Gracias Maria!

I recently did family conferences with Neva Corbell, Lisa Vasquez and Gina Luna, all registered nurses, and can attest to their kindness.

Neva Corbell, Lisa Vasquez and Gina Luna

In each case, families were unable to accept their loved one’s terminal condition, and unable to face the inevitable grieving. In each case, the care had reached a level deemed non-beneficial, which was causing distress. I asked these bedside nurses to attend the family conferences. Then, I asked them to share their opinion. After all, they are the ones who bear witness to the suffering, to the pain, to the daily/hourly decline, to the burdens of treatment, and to the immense faith, hope and love of families.

These nurses responded with truth telling, and tears, and, most importantly, clear and heart-felt direction that it was time to lovingly transition to care directed at comfort. They spoke honestly, using plain language, and with a level of detail that comes from hours and hours and hours of hard won experience. They knew what the consultants had said; they knew the conflicts; they knew the issues. I didn’t. Families respect that.

Amazingly, each family member agreed. They trusted these nurses, and wanted to work with them to do the best, and right thing. One mentioned that he could see through the curtains, and had been watching the entire unit. He was so impressed by the staff, and how they treated everyone. He knew he could let go now, because he knew that everyone was handled with gentleness.

Please thank Neva Corbell, Lisa Vasquez, and Gina Luna for their exemplary contribution to the mission of TMC.

TMC thanks these nurses and all the staff for the kindness the show towards patients, families, visitors and each other.

At TMC, the goal of is to create a kind workplace, thereby reducing employee stress, increasing productivity and creating a better environment for both staff and patients. TMC is the first hospital in Tucson to participate in this program, which is quite an honor, and it is a great opportunity for TMC to embed kindness into the core of our culture.

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About TMC

Tucson Medical Center, licensed at more than 600 beds, has been Tucson’s locally governed nonprofit regional hospital for more than 70 years.

TMC is Southern Arizona’s leading provider for emergency care and pediatric care (including Tucson’s first Pediatric Emergency Department), with top-notch intensive care units for adults, children and newborns.